1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an electrostatic image developing carrier, a process of making the carrier, an electrostatic image developer, a process cartridge, an image forming method, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
Methods for visualizing a latent image of image information, such as electrophotography, are widely used in various fields. An electrophotographic method, for example, includes the steps of charging, exposing, developing (developing an electrostatic latent image on the surface of an image holding member or a photoreceptor with a developer containing a toner), transferring, and fixing. The developer is divided into two types: two-component developer composed of a toner and a carrier and one-component developer containing a toner alone, such as a magnetic toner. In the two-component developer the functions as a developer are separately performed by a toner and a carrier such that the carrier bears the functions of agitation, transportation, and charging. Therefore, the two-component developer is currently widespread because of its superiority in, for example, controllability.